Apparatus for distributing electricity



0. GASSETT.

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRICITY.

(N Model.)

Patented Jan. 13,1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR GASSETT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS APPARATUS FOR DlSTRlB-UTiNtE ELECTRlCITY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,956, dated January 13, 1885 Application filed February 23, 18514.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR GAssETT, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Apparatus for Distributing Electricity, of which the following description, in connection with the ac companying drawing, is a specification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

My invention has-for its object to enable power to be economically and conveniently employed for generating electricity, and the said electricity then to be employed for any of the usual purposes for which electricity is used, either for producing light or heat or mechanical power. Usually, when electrical energy of any kind is to be distributed among various consumers, it has been common to generate the electricity at one main station and then convey it by suitable conductors to the various stations or buildings where it is to be used, and the generator of the electricity is not under the control of the consumer.

The present invention is embodied in an apparatus in which a mechanical power or motor is employed to actuate an electrical generator, the said motor being controlled by an electromagnet the circuit of which is extended to all the points at which the electricity is to be used.

WVhen several different instruments are to be operated by the current produced by a single generator, the said instruments will be arranged in multiple-arc circuit, and each branch circuit containing an instrument will have a corresponding substitute branch of substantially the same resistance, which will be closed when the branch containing the instrument is opened, thus maintaining the circuit of the generator substantially uniform.

The switches or keys controlling the circuit of the magnet that controls the motor are preferably operativ el y connected with the switches controlling the circuits of the instruments in such a manner that when the circuit of any instrument is closed the motor will be set in operation, and it will remain in operation nu til all the switches controlling the instruments are opened, so that no one consumer can cut off the power when others are desirous of using it.

In another application, No. 108,425, I have shown and described similar apparatus for (No model.)

storing and distributing power or mechanical force and converting the latter into electricity; but in the said application the electricity was shown as used for lighting purposes only, and the claims were'limited to an apparatus for lighting, while in the present application the claims are not limited to any specific appliances for utilizing the electric current. In another application, No. 133,547, filed June 2, 1884, I also show apparatus for storing power by fluid under pressure, and for distributing said power and converting it into electricity, the apparatus for converting being controlled by an elec tric circuit; and I do not in my present application claim the combination of elements claimed in said application No. 133,5i7.

The drawing shows in diagram the apparatus for distributing power and electricity in accordance with this invention. The electric generator (1, of any suitable or usual construction, is actuated by any suitable mechanical motor, 7), which is itself actuated by the pressure of a lluid in the pipe 0, which may be the steam-pipe from a steam-generator, or may be connected with a street-main for supplying compressed air as a motive power. The flow of fluid through the pipe 0 to the motor b is controlled by the valve h, the stem of which is provided with a bell-crank lever, h, one arm of which is acted upon by a weight, If, tending to move itin the direction to close the valve, and the other arm of which is connected with a piston, 7;, operating in a cylinder, 7c, connected with a chest, 7f, itself communicating with the pipe 0, and containing afluid under pressure, which,whcn admitted to the cylinder it, will move the piston 75 and connected lever h, opening the valve h. The admission of fluid from the chest 75 into the cylinder is controlled by a valve, m, operated by the armature of an electro-magnet, m, whieh,when energized, attracts the said armature, opens the valve m, and permits the fluid to pass into the cylinder k, to act on the piston k therein. The said piston has a loose lit in the cylinder it, but when pressed forward comes to a seat upon the head 7.5, preventing the free escape of the fluid around the piston, the pressure of which behind it keeps it pressed against its seat. The piston 7V- is not, however, absolute- 1y tight on its seat, and when the valve on is ICO closed so as to no longer maintain a supply of fluid behind the piston, the fluid in the cylinder will escape, permitting the weight if to dislodge the piston is from its seat, when it will be moved back through the cylinder, the fluid in the cylinder escaping around the piston, which is, however, cushioned by the said fluid.

The circuit of the generator a consists of wires 2 3, from either terminal thereof, having branches 4 connecting them, and including the instruments at, of any suitable or usual construction, for utilizing the electricity, the said instruments being either electric motors for doing mechanical work orlamps orheating devices, as may be desired. The branches 4 also include switches 0, by which they may be opened or closed to set the instruments at in operation or to cause them to cease operating.

In order to keep the resistance substantially uniform in the circuit and instruments at that are in operation when one or more of the said instruments at are thrown out of operation, branches 5 are employed, containing resistancen, equal to that of the instruments at, the resistance preferably being of such nature that the current flowing through it may be utilized in some manner, it being possible to place such resistance at any desired point, so that as the instruments at are open-circuited the substitute branches will be closed and the resistance it included in the circuit, the switches 0 being arranged to close the branches 5 in the movement by which they open the branches 4.

In order that the generator may be set in operation wheneverone or more of the instruments a are to be used, the circuit 6 of the battery 13 and magnet in controlling the valve on, and through it the valve h, is provided with closing branches 7, including switches 0, mechanically connected with the switches 0, so that when the latter are moved to open or close the branches 4, containing the instrument a, the branches 7 will also be opened and closed, and it is only when all the said branches are opened or all the instruments at thrown out of operation that the said circuit 6 will be opened, causing the valves m and h to close, and thus stopping the motor.

If desired, the switches 0 0 may be operated automatically, as by an electro-magnet, p, included in that portion of the branch 4 which is left open when the branch 5, containing the substitute instrument a, is closed. The switch will be provided with an armature for the said magnet p, which, so long as the branch 4 remains closed, will retain the switch 0 0 in position to close the branches 4 and 7 5 but in case of the breaking of the branch 4, as by the destruction of the instrument a therein, the switch, being no longer held by its magnet, will be moved by its retracting-spring p to close the branch 5.

WVhen the power for a number of different sub-stations or buildings is to be derived from one common or main station, the power or motor at the main station will be employed to compress air into a main reservoir, A, from which the air will be conveyed by suitable main pipes, B, leading through the streets to small branch or service pipes 0, leading into each building orsub-station, which is provided with a reservoir, D, that supplies the pipe 0, leading to the motor, as before described. The reservoir D will be of sui'licient size to store power enough to drive the motor for a considerable length of time in case the supply from the main pipe B should be exhausted. The pipe 0 is provided with a check-valve, E, which prevents the air from escaping from the reservoir D back into the pipe B when the pressure in the said pipe is below that in the reservoir D.

By the employment of reservoirs D at each sub-station, the motor at the main station may be run practically continuously, compressing air which is stored in the various reservoirs, so that itniay be used during a portion of the time at a rate greater than that which the main motor is capable of supplying if operating only while the consumption was going on.

I claim 1. In an apparatus for distribution of electricity, a mechanical motor and electric generator actuated thereby, combined with an electro-magnet controlling the application of power to the said motor and circuit therefor, and a circuit for the said generator and instruments operated by the current therein, and switches controlling the circuit of the said instruments and the circuit of the controllingmagnet, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for distribution of electricity, a motor and electric generator actuated thereby, and an electro-magnet controlling the application of power to the said motor, combined with a circuit from the said generator, having branches, each containing apparatus for utilizing the electric current, and acircuit for the motor-controlling magnet, and switch controlling both the said circuits simultaneously, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for distribution of elec tricity, a motor and electric generator actuated thereby, and an electro-magnet controlling the application of power to the said motor, combined with a circuit from the said generator, having branches containing elec trical instruments and substitute branches of equal resistance, and a circuit for the motorcontrolling magnet, and switches controlling the branches of the generator-circuit and the circuit of the generator-controlling magnet simultaneously, substantially as described.

4. A system for distributing power and electricity comprising the following elements in combination: a main station containing a main reservoir for fluid under pressure, substations, each containing a reservoir connected by pipes with the main reservoir, and a motor and electric generator actuated thereby,

and an electromagnet controlling the passage to this specification in the presence of two of fluid from the reservoir to the motor, and subscribing witnesses. circuits for the said generator and controlling- 080 AR GASSETT magnet, having circuit controlling instru- 5 ments accessible in common, substantially as Witnesses:

described. Jos. P. LIVERMORE,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name \V. H. SIGsToN. 

